11 Apr 2022
Monday, April 11, 2022
Doha, Qatar:
Aspire Academy student athlete Salem Al Malki finished third in the U17 age-group at the Exeter Junior Open, an England Squash Silver level event.
A total five players competed in the competition that was held from April 1-3.
The 17-year-old was confidence personified and left an indelible impression in the tournament by beating England No.8 Alec Tomlinson 11-6, 11-4, 11-6 in the quarterfinal.
But Salem lost to eventual winner Dylan Roberts 4-11, 13-11, 13-15, 4-11 in a nerve-wracking match.
Unfazed by the semifinal loss, Salem returned with a renewed vigour and confidence to wrap up the third place play-off where he got rid of England No.9 Oliver Coulcher-Porter 11-9, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7.
Beating England’s two top 10 players in what was his first tournament in two year, and the third-place finish was a creditable achievement for Salem.
The performance at Exeter will definitely boost Salem’s confidence as he shape up for future tournaments.
Khalid Al Hammadi, Khalifa Al Janahi, Nasser Al Sharshani and Yousef Al Kubaisi also competed in the event. Khalid and Yousef both lost just one match and finished 17th in their respective age groups.
Aspire Academy boasts of a long-term competition strategy that provides the right exposure to its student-athletes.
The students also get the opportunity to compete locally in events organized by the Qatar Squash Federation (QSF) while Aspire Academy players are selected by the QSF to represent Qatar national teams for the GCC, Arab and Asian junior and senior championships.